Samuel e



(No Model.)

. s. E. SMITH. GENTBRBOARD VESSEL.

Patented Feb. 16

m2 Roi m5 PEYENS co. FHQTD-LIYHD. WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

s'AMUEL E. SMITH, or BABYLON, NEW YORK.

CENTERBOARD VESSEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,079, dated February16, 1897.

Application filed December-26, 1895. Serial No. 573,249. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. SMITH, residing at Babylon, Suffolkcounty, in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Oenterboard Vessels, of which the following is aspecification.

The improvement relates to the centerboard and to the trunk or well inwhich it is inclosed. I obtain a great hold on'the water with a moderatedepth of centerboard.

My center-board, which I term an adjustable Finn centerboard, retains ingreat perfection the important quality that it will lift automaticallyon coming into shallow water. It is composed of two sections pivoted oneforward and the other aft of the upright operwith the centerboard down.

show it raised out of use.

ating-rod. The abutting edge of each section is grooved, and when thecenterboard is down the rod is received one-half in each and serves as atongue to maintain their coincidence of plane.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification andrepresent what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section Fig. 2 is a crosssection onthe line 2 2 in Fig. 1. .Fig. 3 is a section corresponding to Fig. 1with the centerboard raised. Fig. 4 is a corresponding cross-section onthe line 4 4 in Fig. 3. The remaining figures show portions of theinvention on a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section. The fulllines indicate the centel-board lowered for use. The dotted lines Fig. 6is a section through a portion on the line 6 6 in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is asection through a portion on the .line 7 7 in Fig. 5. Fig. Sis a sideelevation of a portion showing a modification.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figureswhere theyappear.

A is the hull of the vessel, and A the sides and ends of the trunk orextended well, which is open at the bottom and incloses the centerboard.A is the top of the well, making it tight at all point-s except anaperture at the mid-length of the top. A is a tube which surrounds suchaperture and extends upward.

B is a flat rod inclosed in the tube A and adapted to play loosely upand down therein. It is formed with an eye B at its lower end.

0 C are transverse belts extending across the trunk or well in thepositions represented and which perform important functions.

I will use the letter D to indicate the entire centerboard, usingsupernumerals to designate the several parts thereof. D D are the twosections. D D are shoes of metal, carried each on its respective sectionD D I provide metal reinforces D D, which are flanged as shown anddriven-into slots d 61 respectively, formed in the outer ends of thesections D D They are secured by bolts.

-Each slot is closed by a strap D efficiently secured.

The rear edge of the forward section D and the forward edge of the aftsection B are each deeply grooved up and down. When the centerboard islowered, the edges of the flat rod B are received in these grooves d,the front edge of the rod being received in the groove in the rear edgeof the front section B and the rear edge of the rod being received inthe front edge of the rear section B Thus situated the rod serves as atongue to insure that the two sections shall be kept in the same plane.

The form of each of the sections D D is an irregular pentagon, the upperand lower edges being parallel to each other, or nearly so, with roundedouter corners. The inner end of each section is angular, the lowerportion adapted to serve as the bottom of the board when the latter isdown, and the remaining portion adapted to match closely to thecorresponding part of the opposite section.

When the centerboard is up, it fills the entire length of the interiorof the trunk, the pivot-bolts O 0 being received in the inner ends oftheir respective slots d (Z When the rod 13 is lowered, both sections DD commence to be protruded through the bottom of the vessel, thismovement shortening the centerlooard and causing the slots cl (.1 totraverse on their respective bolts 0 C the forward section D movingrearward and the rear section B moving forward. The flat rod B isreceived in the grooves d in the adjacent ends of the sections, and whenthe board is fully lowered into the position shown in Figs.

ICO

1 and 2 the rod serves as an efficierrtdowel or tongue'to hold the twopartsD' reliably coinciding in position.

It will be seen that my centerboard presents an unusually large area toresist a side movement of the vessel through the water while the frontand rear are inclined. When the vessel runs into shoal water in theordinary manner, the shoe at the bottom of the forward section makescontact with the bottom and is lifted, and in lifting it raises theother part D In the rarer but sometimes occurring instances of runningupon shoal water sternway the after section performs the same duty,beingraised itself, and thereby raising the for ward section.

My centerboard is stronger and easier to handle than the ordinaryconstruction. The portion presented to the water is in better shape. Inshallow water, where the centerboard can be lowered only part Way, minehas a decided ad vantage, as two feet drop is equal to more than threefeet of the old style of board. The red ueed drop reduces theresistance. It will act more quickly in case it touches the bottom. Itis easier in a seaway and is less likely to spring or jam.

I proportion the parts so that the forward section extends an inch ortwo below the after one. This aids to insure that in running aground thecontact with the bottom Will be first and strongest on the frontsection.

Modifications may be made without departin g from the principle orsacrificing the advantages of the invention.

The trunk A and also the sections D D of the centerboard maybe of hardwood, asindicated in the drawings, but they may be of iron or othermetal, if desired.

It will be understood that the drop of the board is governed by thedistance from the bottom of the keel to the top of the interior of thetrunk.

In an ordinary vessel of thirty tons or upward the trunk may be of aproper height to form a table on the top,

In a moderately-sharp yacht or other vessel having the amount ofdead-rise usual in such forms it will not be necessary to bring thetrunk above the cabin-floor.

The slots (1" and (Z may be made wider and the reinforcing-castingscorrespondingly wider and a small roller put on each pin 0 to reduce thefriction as the sections move longitudinally in being raised andlowered.

I have shown the upper and lower edges of the sections as substantiallyparallel and prefer such form, but this may be varied. I have shown theslots d d as parallel with the upper and bottom edges. This may bewidely varied.

Fig. 8 shows one of the sections with a slot materially inclined. \Vithsome proportions of the parts suchinclined.arrangement of the slots andof the corresponding reinforcing metal is of advantage by insuring thatwhen the centerboard is lowered the slotted end of each sect-ion shallprotrude through the bottom more than would otherwise result.

I claim as my invention 1. In a sailing vessel a centerboard comprisinga pair of oppositely-arranged and pivotally-connected sections D D eachof corresponding pentagonal form and having at their meeting edgesoppositely-disposed inclined faces and formed each with slots (1 (1 sopositioned and pitched as to form a sliding pivotal connection obliquelyto the line of descent of the respective sections, and that are adaptedto engage with pins 0 (J arranged and extending transversely through theillclosing well, the whole arranged and designed to effect the greatestamount of useful surface area in the drop, that can be inclosed in awell of a given size, substantially as described.

2. In a sailing vessel a centerboard comprising two oppositely-arrangedsections D D each of irregular pentagonal form in combination with eachother andawell and means for holding said sections in operative relationthat consists of a pivotal connection at their meeting edges and asliding pivotal connection located at the respective outer edges, at apoint below the center substantially as described.

3. In a sailing vessel, a centerboard comprising two oppositely-arrangedsections D, D each of irregular pentagonal form, and equipped with aproper shoe D in combination with each other and with the well A, andthe operating-rod B, the adjacent edges of the sections being grooved asindicated by (Z, and receiving each a portion of the single rod 13, sothat the latter serves as a tongue or dowel, all arranged to servesubstantially as herein specified.

4:. In a sailing vessel, a centerboard comprising twooppositely-arranged sections D D each equipped with a shoe D and eachhaving a groove in its edge receiving a portion of the operating-rodwhereby the said sections are supported laterally therein, incombination with each other and with a well A, with its tight cover Aand with the tube A loosely inclosing the operating-rod B, all arrangedfor joint operation, substantially as herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL E. SMITH.

W'itn esses J. B. CLANTICE, M. F. BOYLE.

